


Bound

by Bearslayer



Series: The Gotham Prompts [6]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: A little angst, Banter, Bickering, M/M, a little fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 17:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bearslayer/pseuds/Bearslayer
Summary: Oswald finds himself tied to the last person he wants to be near.





	Bound

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt received on Tumblr; "Out of all the people in the world I could have ended up tied to, why did it have to be you?"

As Oswald woke, he felt a distinct aching in his arms and back. He fidgeted, only for the pain to spike a current through his spine and cause him to freeze in place. His eyes slipped back shut as he tried to relax. Physically it wasn't a problem, but mentally he had to push down the bubble of panic threatening to push him into a frenzy. He didn't know where he was, but he could feel that he was back to back with someone. Whoever it was was taller than him (which wasn't particularly telling given his somewhat diminutive size) and was ridiculously warm. The heat was pouring off of them in a way that was adding to Oswald's discomfort.

“Are you awake? Who are you? Where are we?” Oswald snapped; the person hadn't moved yet. He tried to look over his shoulder, but couldn't make out any features in the dim light of the room.

“Shut up. I already have a headache.” The voice was husky and one that he knew intimately. His heart dropped and he began to jerk his arms despite the pain.

“You!? Whose sick idea was this?!” Oswald screeched in anger and no small amount of heartache.

“Stop it! You're going to damage both of us, you idiot!” Edward snarled, leaning back into him, pressing Oswald's body in against itself.

Oswald yelped in pain and used his legs to anchor himself, responding in kind. With his legs as leverage, he forced his body back into Edward's, making the man double over. It was a petulant response, but he didn't care. They were bound by the arms and the chest with thick rope, tight enough that the dismay gripping Oswald's chest made it even harder to breathe.

“Oswald, stop it!” Edward's body no longer pushed back, submitting; satisfied with the little victory, Oswald settled back into a sitting position.

“Fine. Why are we here, do you know?” Oswald grumbled.

“I don't. All I remember was walking into Sirens and then waking up here. The room is non-descript, probably an empty apartment or a warehouse office...” Edward sighed, leaning his head back. It brushed against Oswald's. He had to fight the urge to throw his head back against him, but it would only hurt them both.

“Of all the people in the world I could end up tied to, why did it have to be you?” Oswald mumbled.

“Well, whoever our assailant is obviously did it deliberately, knowing our history. Which doesn't help narrow it down at this point, given the enjoyment you seem to get out of telling everyone that will listen you're in love with me.” Edward grumbled.

“I feel nothing for you anymore except for hate,” Oswald insisted, shifting his arms, “And I'd rather break my arms to get out of this then to be stuck with you a minute longer!”

“Oswald, don't! We don't know anything about who has us here and what they have in store! At least be patient for _once_ in your life!” Edward held his arms as still as he could to negate Oswald's movements.

“For once in my life? For _ONCE_!?” Oswald snapped, offended. “You're calling **me** impatient? I worked for years to get to where I was before you ruined everything, and you can't even hatch a plot without immediately blathering about it to any authority that will listen because you're too self-involved to wait for them to figure it out!”

“It isn't my fault I'm constantly at odds with idiots!” Edward returned.

“That's why you'll never succeed, Ed. You'll constantly get yourself caught because you're too prideful to keep your mouth shut!” Oswald spat.

“Better to be caught because of pride then belittled and made a fool of for having none!” Edward fidgeted, getting worked up by the banter.

“That's the thing; I have pride. I have **too much** pride, most of the time... but I can at least realize that I don't need to protect that pride with my life because most people just don't matter enough to me to care what they think! You, on the other hand? You're so desperate for people to recognize you that you don't realize that you're a joke to them! You put yourself on some lofty pedestal because you think you're the smartest person there is, and what has that gotten you?” Oswald's voice raised a little, but began to lower in volume as he spoke. The tone he took was seething, full of venom, and Edward's silence showed him that his words hit home.

“At any rate, it looks like we're stuck here unless we work together or wait for our captor to show themselves. Unless they plan on torturing us by leaving us with one anothers company.” Oswald muttered.

Edward said nothing, and Oswald knew that he had struck a nerve. The feeling wasn't as satisfying as he had hoped. Somewhere in the pit of his heart the urge to comfort the man stirred. Oswald tried his best to suppress his feelings, to make it so that love didn't ruin him as it had before. It was easy enough when they were apart, but now, being in his proximity, smelling his cologne, feeling his warmth, Oswald was finding it harder and harder to harden his heart.

“At least yell back at me.” Oswald muttered, frowning down at his own legs.

“What's the point? You're right.” Edward said softly, sounding wrecked, lost. Oswald knew that if he could see the man's face that his eyebrows would be knitted together, eyes wide and soulful with pain, the ghost of a frown etched into his features like the mask of Tragedy.

“I'm more angry than anything.” Oswald wouldn't admit that anything he said was wrong, but he would at least say that much.

“I know,” Edward said with a sigh, “you're angry a lot. More these days, it seems.”

“Good to know you're still keeping tabs on my moods. Yes, I am angry a lot. It's exhausting.” He admitted.

“Is that because of me?” Edward asked.

Oswald was briefly dumbstruck. Was Edward so out of touch that he couldn't comprehend Oswald holding a grudge? Was he so disconnected from emotions that the idea that he could stay angry at him for so long was beyond his comprehension? The thought baffled him, but after a moment or two it made sense. Edward was used to rejection, after all; it was likely that he assumed Oswald's love for him was temporary, fleeting, a mistake born from closeness. Edward likely believed that Oswald merely wanted to use him for his intelligence like so many before had.

“Yes.” Oswald mumbled once he was able to speak.

“If it means anything to you, I did have... regrets. Without you around I – I think I lost my way for a time.” Edward said. Oswald's brows furrowed. Was that some sort of awkwardly worded attempt at an apology?

“That's interesting.” He replied lamely, words failing him again.

“Interesting... right.” Edward muttered.

“You just didn't seem like you had regrets. Only like you wanted to continue trying to kill me.” Oswald clarified.

“I'm not exactly the best at... expressing certain things. I think you know that better than anyone, Oswald.” Nygma muttered.

“I think you're right, there.” Oswald actually chuckled a little, the humor of the situation beginning to present itself.

“We're quite a pair.” Edward followed suit with a chuckle of his own, leaning back against the smaller man.

“We are, aren't...” Oswald began, only to trail off when the only door to the room opened.

“Quite a pair you are indeed; your assistance now is what I need! I captured you to lend a hand, we three will make a merry band!” A voice came from outside, and through the door stepped a tall, twitchy, wide eyed fellow wearing a top hat.

“What!? Jervis? Why are you here?” Oswald snapped. “Free us at once!”

“Freeing you will come in time --” Jervis began.

“Stop speaking in such stupid rhyme!” Oswald shouted. Edward began to snicker behind him.

“How very rude, Penguin!” Jervis stuttered.

“Interruption is a sin!” Edward interjected.

“I've brought you here to work things out! I -” Jervis stomped a foot in frustration.

“There isn't any need to shout.” Oswald cut in again, grinning. Jervis made a noise resembling an irritated goose, moving towards Oswald and bringing a previously hidden blade to his neck.

“Now listen here, little man--” He pressed the edge to Oswald's neck.

“You need us both to carry out your plan.” Oswald sneered. Rage was boiling in Tetch, but the two knew instinctively that his threat was entirely empty. Jervis was on the run from not only the law, but some big names in the crime world. He had brought them there and bound them together to try and force them to cooperate not only with him, but with one another.

The calm that had come over Oswald once the conversation between himself and Edward had shifted to something more playful was a stunning indicator of how well that idea had actually worked.

But Oswald wouldn't admit that.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This may get a sequel at some point depending on how well it's liked.


End file.
